Choosing a Screen Name this Summer? 5 Tips for Families

Strange screen names seem to pop up in the summer more than any other time of the year.

The best screen names are boring. In a virtual world, where even a nuanced word association can invite unfortunate behavior, taking care choosing these online names is critical. The easiest solution is to use a first name, nickname, or a different name, perhaps paired with numbers at the beginning or end. Many years ago I used 29Marti1607, a name that attracted little attention except once when someone asked me if my ancestors had lived in colonial Jamestown (settled in 1607).

Children experiment with edgy screen names as one way to look and feel cool, and as they get older, their choices often push limits, unintentionally drawing attention. A suggestive name in any number of categories can encourage the people who interact with your child — even people who are friends — to behave impulsively in the web world where adult supervision is minimal. It is way too easy for two-way communication to go awry.

A Few Screen Name Selection Tips

Make the screen name boring with names or words and numbers.

Avoid words that allude to sex and gender, and even descriptive words that may seem insignificant. “Cutekid” may seem innocuous and fun when said out loud, but when paired with words in a text message or chat, the screen name can draw attention. One with even more direct allusion– “hotpants,” for instance — will be even more suggestive to others.

Avoid words that unintentionally convey personal information — the name of a sport, sport team, or a favorite vacation spot. These screen names let a person chat with your child on a subject that your child loves.

Avoid words of intense emotion, violence as well as names of weapons — hate, beat-up, attack, gun, bomb, blow-up, knife, etc. Recently I heard of a child whose screen name, “BeatYouUp24,” was not a good choice.

Screen names have power. Help your child make safe and sensible choices.

This Blog’s Mission

This blog’s mission is to help parents, teachers, and other adults learn more about helping digital kids grow into thoughtful, collaborative, and savvy digital citizens. With a range of information-filled posts on digital kids, edtech, digital parenting, medialit, and digital citizenship MediaTechParenting offers adults the opportunity to become familiar with media, the digital world, 21st century learning, and the virtual environment that young people take for granted, thereby serving as models and mentors for the children in their care.